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Bank Islam Malaysia is confident of achieving more than 15% growth in profit before tax and zakat this year compared with RM600.3 million last year. Managing director Datuk Seri Zukri Samat said consumer banking would continue to be the main contributor to achieve the target. 70% of the financing portfolio is to be contributed by consumer banking and the balance of 30% from corporate and commercial banking. For the first quarter of this year, the bank raked in profit before tax and zakat of RM151.5mil. However, Zukri said the economic growth which is somewhat slow currently and the new guidelines on responsible lending might affect the bank's financing growth.

The Islamic Development Bank and Saudi Fund for Development have provided finances amounting to $ 21.7 billion for 90 projects in the Bank's Member States in Africa, Asia, and Middle East. In its annual report for the year 2012, the Islamic Development Bank pointed out that the projects were in fields of infrastructures, agriculture, rural development, health, education, transport, energy, and water.

India’s central bank has allowed a firm in the southern state of Kerala to operate as a non-banking financial company that follows Islamic principles ? a small step towards developing syariah-compliant finance in the country. Cheraman Financial Services said it had obtained approval to operate from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and would follow the Islamic ban on interest. RBI governor Duvvuri Subbarao has said Islamic banking was not possible in the country but syariah-compliant products could be delivered through alternative means.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd is said to be revisiting the idea of a merger, this time with a development financial institution (DFI). Among the possible candidates are Bank Rakyat Malaysia Bhd and Malaysian Industrial Development Finance Bhd (MIDF). DFIs are specialised financial institutions established by the Government with the specific mandate to develop and promote key sectors that are considered of strategic importance. Industry players say the idea of a merger between Bank Muamalat and Bank Rakyat is an attractive proposition as both are Islamic concerns, with Bank Rakyat being the country’s largest Islamic cooperative bank.For the financial year (FY) ended March 31, 2013, Bank Muamalat posted a record pre-tax profit of RM236mil. Bank Rakyat, meanwhile, has been enjoying profitable growth over the years.

The Inland Revenue and Stamp Duty Legislation (Alternative Bond Schemes) (Amendment) Ordinance is a new piece of legislation, introduced in Hong Kong. This law, which puts the taxation of sukuk on a level footing with conventional bonds in Hong Kong, marks a significant effort by the Hong Kong Government to promote the development of a sukuk market in the territory. However, success in developing a market for Islamic finance is not just about regulation and tax. Most importantly, it is about ethics, in the form of Shariah compliance. Islamic finance continues to be dominated by banking. Insurance (takaful) has received much less attention and its development reflects a degree of neglect. The problem lies in the widespread use of takaful and retakaful contracts which are nothing more than conventional insurance and reinsurance contracts. A strong ethical framework needs to be created and enforced within which Islamic finance can thrive.

PT Bank Muamalat Indonesia posted Rp372.20 billion (US36.1 million) in net profits for the first half of 2013, a 51.27 percent increase from the same period of last year. Bank Muamalat’s net earnings as of June 2013 reached Rp 1.25 trillion, compared to Rp 868.33 billion in June 2012. Margins for murabaha totaled Rp 925.23 billion, or an increase of 47.22 percent from the 2012 figure. Muamalats earnings from musharakah, or partnerships, reached Rp 746.65 billion, higher than the Rp 461.64 billion in June 2012. As of the first semester of 2013, Bank Muamalat managed Rp 47.92 trillion in assets, or up 46.59 percent from the same period in 2012. Meanwhile, PT Bank Ekonomi Raharja (BAEK) on the other hand reported a fall in net profits to Rp 105.33 billion, down 23.34 percent from last year’s Rp 137.4 billion. Bank Ekonomi Raharja recorded Rp 26.59 trillion in assets as of June 30 2013.

Takaful Ikhlas will focus on group insurance schemes in efforts to educate more Malay clients on the importance of Islamic insurance policy and protection coverage. President and Chief Executive Officer Ab Latiff Abu Bakar said the Islamic insurance penetration rate by the Malays in the country was only 12 per cent. Of the 88 per cent of the Malay market for Islamic insurance protection which have not been penetrated, the company is aiming to secure up to 10 per cent next year, driven by would-be-launched new group schemes and existing group insurance policies, he said. Takaful Ikhlas is targeting RM10 million returns in the next five years from its group insurance schemes. Ab Latiff said Takaful Ikhlas was also confident of netting RM2 million worth of sales this year from RM1.5 million last year, aided by the appointment of more agents, up to 50, and improved marketing strategies.

Almost half of the 150 million Singapore dollar ($118 million) sukuk issued by Swiber went to investors from Brunei, helping Swiber clinch pricing that was more competitive than conventional debt. Swiber's five-year deal priced last week to yield 6.5 percent and was backed by strong anchor demand from high-quality institutional investors before books opened. About half of the bonds were allocated to Islamic institutions. The biggest chunk, 46.3 percent, went to Brunei, while Malaysia took 10.0 percent and Singapore 43.7 percent. Institutional buyers accounted for a huge 96.5 percent share of the deal. Maybank Kim Eng was sole lead arranger and global coordinator for the programme. Proceeds from the issue will be used to refinance debt and support capital expenditure.

Wong & Partners is advising Malaysian investment company BIMB Holdings on its proposed $885 million takeover of Bank Islam. The deal is subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, and will be financed by a $1.8 billion capital raise.
Kuala Lumpur partners Munir Abdul Aziz and Wong Sue Wan are advising BIMB Holdings on the transaction, as well as the rights issue. Kuala Lumpur partner Mark Lim will act for Bank Islam as the lead arranger on the bond issuance. Zaid Ibrahim & Co. Kuala Lumpur partner Wan Marzimin and Zul Rafique & Partners Kuala Lumpur partner Lukman Sheriff Alias are acting as counsel to Dubai Financial Group and Lembaga Tabung Haji, respectively.

After the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) cancelled Ahmedabad-based Parsoli Corporation's registration as a stock broker, the CEO of the firm, Zafar Sareshwala, claimed that his company had exited the stock-broking business voluntarily in 2010 and described the SEBI's move as a classic case of harassment. He claimed that SEBI had targeted his company because it was a Muslim firm and had proposed to bring in Islamic financing. SEBI had cancelled the certificates granted to Parsoli Corporation as a stock broker on both the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange due to observations that Parsoli was not fit and proper and was repeatedly found guilty of violating securities laws on more than one occasion.

Cash Waqf is a voluntary endowment of money, deposited to the banks perpetually. Profit paid on this deposit is spent in different people's welfare purposes according to instructions of the account holders. These include education, health, food, utility and rehabilitation services as per instruction of the donors. The product is still at primary stage of its flourishing in Bangladesh. When a considerable amount of investment will be injected into the scheme, it might significantly contribute to a stable and sustainable economy. Banking insiders attributed the rising popularity of the scheme mainly to the opportunity to donate cash-money during the present time of land scarcity, and to the flexibility of distributing cash-benefits anywhere. Anybody can open this account by depositing total money of declared Waqf amount once or by installments.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia has announced the rolling out of the country’s first-ever Shariah-compliant solar photovoltaic (PV) financing scheme valued between RM20 million and RM30 million within the next 2-3 years. Deputy CEO Musa Abdul Malek said that for the first year, the bank may disburse from RM10 million to RM15 million of the funds to 1,000 homeowners, who will be fitting their homes with solar PV systems, which will be grid connected and reap from the country’s solar PV Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) system. However, he said the Smart Green Mortgage Solar PV FiT Plan with its design based on the murabahah structure, is a mortgage plan that does not a have a high-end margin for the bank with a mere 1% yield. The Bank Muamalat package for solar PV is the second in the Malaysian market after Alliance Bank announced its solar financing package in June.

Dubai Financial Group (DFG) has agreed to divest of its 30.5% stake in Bank Islam to BIMB Holdings in Malaysia, in a deal worth $550m. BIMB Holdings currently owns 49% stake of Bank Islam and the recent acquisition, which completed on 31 July 2013, will enable it to strengthen its banking business in the country. Bank Islam manages a branch network of more than 127 offices. Following DFG's acquisition, the total assets of the lender rose from MYR14.6bn ($ 4.5bn) in 2006 to MYR37.4bn ($11.5bn) by the end of 2012. In June this year, the company divested its credit card operation The Dubai First to Abu Dhabi based First Gulf Bank (FGB) in a deal reached at $164m.

Malaysia-based International Islamic Liquidity Management Corp (IILM) will issue its long-awaited sukuk programme worth $490 million (RM1.6 million) this month, offering tenors of three months. The dollar-denominated sukuk programme, rated "A-1" by S&P, is backed by sovereign assets from member countries and will carry maturities of up to one year. IILM delayed its maiden issue several times and replaced its chief executive in October last year. It plans to raise the programme to as much as US$3 billion, aided by a multi-jurisdictional network of primary dealers that will ensure a secondary market, which includes Albaraka Turk and Standard Chartered as primary dealers.

In September last year, Noor issued an invitation to the world to help shape the future of banking, with the launch of its Bank of the Future initiative, aimed at creating innovative ways of banking. As part of the initiative, Noor created an online Shape Your Bank competition to solicit people’s expectations of banks in the future, with prize money of $20,000 for the best idea on enhancing the banking experience. Nurul Iksan from Malang, Indonesia, won the first prize in Noor’s online competition. With the $20,000 in cash, plus an iPad he can begin pursuing some of his business ideas. He will use part of the money to open a fashion shop in nearby Bali. Iksan’s suggestion was to introduce a family account that is held by the head of the family with supplementary cards and limited budgets assigned to all family members. Such a concept has not been implemented in the region yet.

The Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) and the Bangladesh Bank (The Central Bank of Bangladesh) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The objective of the MOU is to establish a basis for the exchange of information between the two institutions on banking industry's condition and operating performance and ICIEC exposures on the banks operating in Bangladesh. It is expected that the MOU will help pave the way forward for ICIEC in meeting its objectives under the IDB Group Member Country Participation Strategy (MCPS) for Bangladesh, through enhance letter of credit coverage and support in terms of political risk insurance coverage of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The signing of the MoU should enhance ICIEC's ability to support exporting companies operating in Bangladesh, and also will help to attract more FDI.

Cheraman Financial Services Ltd, jointly promoted by the Kerala government and non-resident Keralites, is to fund hundreds of cash-strapped student startups coming up in Kerala state, India. The Islamic financial institution has set aside Rs150mn for companies in the Startup Village, Kerala’s answer to Silicon Valley, from its Rs2.5bn Alternative Investment Fund that primarily targets the Shariah-compliant service and manufacturing sectors. There are more than 900 firms with innovative products started by students waiting to set up their units. At least one company of students with innovative ideas is being set up each day at the Startup Village. The Village aims to host 3,000 startups by 2020. Coming up on the same campus in this port city is the Kerala Technology Innovation Centre, another zone exclusively for bio-technology.

Islamic banking is yet to get a foothold in the country with RBI not extending the permission, but the Indian subsidiary of a Kuwait company is setting up a global support centre providing Islamic core banking solutions at Infopark, Cherthala, on Friday. Path Solutions India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Path Solutions K.S.C.C, Ku­w­ait. According to Mohammed Kateeb, group chairman and CEO of Path Solutions, the company plans to have over 30 professionals working from its global support and development centre by the end of second quarter. Path Solutions wants to utilize the local skilled resources to deliver value-added software solutions and services to its clients. The centre will be opened by Aroor MLA A.M. Arif at 5 pm. IT principal secretary P.H. Kurien and Infopark CEO Hrishikesh Nair will attend the function among others.

MAA Group will finally get to proceed with plans to buy new businesses after reaching a settlement agreement with Zurich Insurance Co. Under the settlement, Zurich has agreed to pay MAA Group RM103.43 million on top of the RM344 million acquisition price for MAA Group's interest in MAA Assurance Alliance and its subsidiaries. The RM103.43 million amount is subject to the deduction of the Senai Desaru and Domayne bonds transfer price and Prima Avenue Klang property holdback amount of RM3 million, such that the net amount payable by Zurich into the escrow account is RM78.83 million. However, Zurich will instruct and withhold the RM3 million until delivery of the individual strata titles for Block A of Prima Avenue Klang within three years.

Maybank Islamic Bhd, the Islamic banking arm of Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank), aims to expand to all Asean member countries that Maybank has a presence in. According to its CEO Muzaffar Hisham, the bank intends to continue its regional expansion to other Asean nations after focusing on Singapore and Indonesia as part of its internationalisation initiative. Muzaffar said the bank has invested a lot of time and effort in the expansion opportunities, which were in line with the aspiration of Bank Negara Malaysia to internationalise Islamic finance. The bank grew by an average of 25% per year, held 30% market share locally and contributed 30% to the loans portfolio of Maybank domestically. Up to the first quarter of this year, Maybank Islamic has 4 million depositors with a deposit value of RM70 billion.